


Letters to a colleague; answers to a friend.

by ariaelwen



Series: History lessons [2]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:25:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariaelwen/pseuds/ariaelwen
Summary: Once upon a time a young Hobbit-lass found herself at a loss for information and so being assured of her own self importance within the great tales of the world (even if only at arm’s length) she decided to do something about it.Once upon a time there was a Queen in Numenor.Once upon a time there was a young lass in the Shire.Once upon a time there was a researcher in Gondor.This is their tale.





	1. Prologue: Wherein a discovery is made.

 

 

_Elanor the Fair, eldest child of Samwise Gardner once Gangee and Rose Cotton, was a prolific writer as her children oftentimes knew and her husband had oftentimes despaired. Letters were her lifeblood, she would say as she wrote yet another to a different friend. Fastred had always joked that his wife was as mercurial as any elf he had ever met, and as curious as any man, not much like most Hobbits at any rate. It was what he had loved most about her (that and her ability to listen to his ramblings about pipeweed while she detested the stuff - just another difference between the eldest daughter of Samwise Gardner and the rest of the Shire). Yet, it had still come as some surprise when Elfstan stumbled upon a great collection of letters in a trunk, tied up with ribbon, silk and cotton of all varieties and colours, tattered in places but all carefully stored where nothing could come near them._

_Neither damp nor heat had ever touched the letters while they lay in her care._

_But others had been tied much more sloppily, the paper torn and ripped. He had never truly looked through his mother’s things, they were hers and for her alone. Not even as a child had he dared to enter his mother's study without permission. Although he knew many of her writings had made their way to the mathom house or indeed to Minas Tirith itself her letters and indeed all her writings had always been viewed as inviolate by the family (unless she cared to show you them). These however were an oddity._

_Hidden away like buried treasure. Wrapped and stored with love and care._

_The closest he could compare them to were those she had received from her father but they (or at least edited versions) had often been read aloud at suppertime. It was not until Fíriel’s curiosity overrode her elder brother’s caution at carefully undoing the knots that the papers began to reveal their secrets. But it was not until she had opened both sets of bundles that she began to make sense of the issue before them._


	2. Chapter one: In which a request is made and our story begins.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Elanor Gardner sends a letter to Minas Tirith in the hopes of a reply.

Dear Master,

My apologies for writing to you out of the blue as it were, but I didn’t know to whom to turn. I have exhausted all the resources I have to hand. Once upon a time you see, when I was only a little girl my father read to me of Tar-Míriel, one of the ruling Queens of Numenor and I asked of my father what parts of the story were true. He replied that all of it was as that was the tale but he admitted that of course all tales change in the telling. Dissatisfied with that answer I pressed him and he threw his hands up in despair. I did press him rather hard even I must admit.

               My first thought upon thinking of this topic once again now many years down the line was to contact Masters Elladan and Elrohir of Imladris, the Queens brothers’, but knowing them not at all I thought rather to contact you in Gondor in the hopes that you could further my knowledge. The resources in the Shire deal little with Kings and Queens, Hobbits having had little time for them excepting our current ones. I have read what I could find but feel most dissatisfied as unfortunately our resources are limited and they mostly concern agricultural dealings or limit themselves to family trees of which there is much interest. I have even scoured the Mathom house in Michael Delving in case they had something that lay hidden away. But I find I must know more, and being of Numenor I assume that if anyone’s library was to have more information then surely it would be that of Minas Tirith.

               And so I ask of you a great ask especially as we two have never met, and that is, do you have any information relating or pertaining to the life and death of Tar-Míriel, last of the ruling queens? Even just an inkling of resources, as I would not dare ask more of you, either to make copy or indeed to send any original document such a long way; but, if I know they’re there next time I am able to travel (if indeed I am ever able) I will know where to look.

Yours in good faith,

Elanor Gardner

Maid of honour to the Queen Arwen

Writing on this the twenty-sixth day of March 1439 in the reckoning of the Shire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd hoped to post on Friday but it seems that Sunday's are more likely. So here it is, chapter one and Elanor Gardner writes a letter of introduction.


	3. Chapter Two: In which polite requests are answered, twice.

Dear young mistress Gardner,

My thanks for your letter even though it did cause some consternation between my colleagues and I when it arrived. It is not often anyone enquires about such a subject and never have we received so earnest a petition nor from so far.

You ask about Tar-Míriel otherwise known as Ar-Zimraphel and I will do my best to answer though this is not a topic I know much of myself. I have asked another of my colleagues to contact you shortly and it is likely that their missive will have been dispatched with this.

I will admit that I am somewhat at a loss to answer your question. You are of course most welcome to peruse our collection but many accounts from that time have been lost over the years.

According to the Akallabeth which is our main source of information with regards the final days of Numenor Tar-Míriel was the daughter of Tar-Palantir who was born Inziladun in the language of Numenor but had changed his name to Palantir when he ascended the throne as a mark of his repentance.  Numenor you must understand had turned away from the Valar at this point, and only the Faithful (that is the Lords of Andunie of whom Elendil is descended) kept faith with the Aman. But, I digress. Tar-Palantir was accounted the twenty-second king and named his daughter Míriel. Tar-Palantir was known as being a True-seer, a rare thing, and people were often afraid when he spoke for in his voice you often heard things that you would much rather not. Miriel was his only child and was born late into her father’s reign, but it was her right when her father died to become the fourth ruling queen but she was usurped by the man we call Ar-Pharazon.

Pharazon was Míriel’s first cousin and took her to wife against her will, doing evil in this and evil also in that the laws of Numenor did not permit the marriage, even in the royal house, of those more nearly akin than cousins in the second degree. When they were wedded Pharazon seized the sceptre and changed the name of his queen to Ar-Zimraphel. Now, it can be argued that by allowing her to keep her title at least gave the impression that it was a joint rule but there is little else to back this up so I would err against making this suggestion. No matter the fact that she kept her title Tar-Miriel is not accounted as one of the ruling queens of Numenor as her husband held the sceptre, though by rights it was hers, and hers alone to hold. But those days were strange for all to understand.

We know that Tar-Míriel was beautiful as she is described in the Akallabeth as fairer than silver or ivory or pearls and that she was taken by the waves as she attempted to ascend the Meneltarma. This unfortunately is the most we know for certain or at least all we know for certain as they pertain to the main records.

I have asked my colleagues at Dol Amroth and further afield to look through their collections but I am afraid progress may be slow; the question of Tar-Míriel having long since been outside our scope of research.

I would recommend you contact Lord’s Elladan and Elrohir of Rivendell and also Lord Cirdan of Lindon even though you do not know them as the Elves often keep records unknown to us in the south. It may also be that they have some records from Arnor written before the kingdom fell in their keeping. Moreover in the case of Lord Cirdan he may have first-hand knowledge of the subject matter.

I wish you luck with your endeavours and would ask that you send me a copy of any new research you may find as re-found knowledge is always a boon.

Yours in friendship,

Elestirn

Chief librarian of Minas Tirith, in the Reunited Kingdom’s of Gondor and Arnor.

Writing on this the twelfth day August in the seventeenth year of the Reign of King Elessar first of his name and the seventeenth year of the Fourth Age of Arda.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Miss Gardner,

Thank you very much for your letter, I did so much enjoy the debate it provoked in our little corner of the world. Having a letter written by the daughter of such an esteemed Halfling as your father was a distinct thrill. But, I digress.

My colleague Elestirn forwarded your questions to me to answer as best as I am able for I have made some enquiries of a similar nature although mine were more relating to the felling of Nimloth, Numenor’s white tree (and my namesake).

The records relating to Numenor’s fall are scant at best here in  Gondor, our problem being that as we were founded by the Faithful our records hold little relating to the land itself in the later years due to Elendil and his sons having been banished.

Some of the story as you were no doubt told will be fictionalised and embellished to make a good story. Of Tar-Míriel we know that she was born and we know the manner in which she died (climbing the height of the Meneltarma) it is of course her life that has escaped us over mist of the ensuring years. No doubt Elestirn has regaled you further with the story of the Akallabeth so I will steer clear of it.

Tar-Míriel was the last of the ruling queens, of this we are certain. The fact that she kept her title when she married indicates this to us (although I know there are many scholars who will disagree with this assessment). The least you can ascribe to her is that her rule with her husband was as co-ruler with the potential of diminishing influence over the course of her reign. We know that she was present in court with her husband when Sauron first paid them attention and that the court was called in her name. He went to pay “homage” to them both, not just Ar-Pharazon. It does her a disservice to pretend that everything that went wrong in those final years was only because of Ar-Pharazon. We know that she went by the regnal name of Ar-Zimraphel, now whether this was her choice or the choice of her husband is up for debate as we have nothing (that I am  currently aware of) that says whose choice this change was but she wasn’t the political non-entity that people would like her to be. She wasn’t some sort of helpless princess that needed to be saved but a woman who knew her own mind, no matter what bad decisions she helped create.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that our history of Numenor comes completely from what was written down from the Faithful, those men who were related to Elendil when he was banished from Numenor. The fact that they were politically opposite the ruling family does us a disservice, I think, as we are then unable to get a good grasp of what was actually happening without commentary. We have to read between the lines a lot of the time and literally ignore some of what is said. Opinion is not fact and this is something that many of my colleagues seem to forget, especially when studying this period of our history. Although an opinion that comes from fact is at least an informed opinion.

I hope this little bit of extra knowledge is helpful to you and if I learn anything else from my colleagues from further afield I will happily relay their information to you. But, do feel free to write to me again as I would very much enjoy hearing your thoughts on the matter. More people to weigh up the matter are always welcome.

 

Yours,

Nimloth

Fourth librarian of the library of Minas Tirith

 

Writing on this the seventh day of September in the seventeenth year of the reign of King Elessar.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, unfortunately I ended up working extra hours and so couldn't post as intended. Hopefully, this sort of makes up for it....


	4. Chapter Three: In which profuse thanks are made

 

 Dear Master Elestirn,

                                             My heartfelt thanks for your very thoughtful letter; I was very grateful to receive it and I was thrilled to hear that you’d thought to ask your colleagues on my behalf. Your colleague Nimloth has been most helpful.  I will, now that I have your endorsement, write to Rivendell with regards to Tar-Míriel. I just felt rather overawed to do so without the prior agreement of one such as yourself.  Being honest with you, it felt overawing enough to write to you in Gondor, so writing to the Elves felt as though I would be writing to a myth rather than a flesh and blood person.

               I read with interest the research you included concerning Ar-Pharazon and the fact that there is a much larger body of research concerning him and his actions than there is concerning Tar-Míriel. But I’m afraid it gave me any number of questions that likely no-one will ever be able to answer. I have included a few of them below so you can see what has been the result.

               Is it that Tar-Míriel relinquished her claim as ruling Queen or that they ruled jointly? It seems strange to think that anyone related to King Elessar or Queen Arwen would be so weak of will to allow another to literally usurp their throne.

               All the blame seems to be placed solely on Ar-Pharazon, but if the crown was hers then surely some of the blame should pass to her also? Indeed I read that when Sauron first came to Numenor the court had been called in her name not that of her husband which would tend to suggest that she had more power than some historians would want us to believe. Of course her power within the court could have waned and that might even have been an affect Sauron had upon the court.

               I know that Tar-Míriel’s father was accounted devout; although in truth I can’t really relate to the idea myself as I am almost certain that we in the Shire are accounted fairly heathen-like when compared to Elves and Men. But more than that the actions of a father do not always reflect that of the daughter. For example, although I would love to think that I had my father’s bravery and would have done much like him I feel that I would not be so brave or intelligent and would have stayed at home, tucked in bed. Or, on a lighter note I am well aware that I do not have his green fingers or my mother’s light step when dancing; but I digress.

               Although the actions of her father shed some light on what she was like when younger, the fact that she married Ar-Pharazon, someone almost the complete opposite of her father indicates that she was not of one mind with him. Her father that is, not her husband. Although equally it is said here in the Shire that: “opposites attract” and so it may have been in the case of these two Numenorian cousins. But I am aware that many of the records believe that coercion was used and that it was likely a marriage of convenience rather than that of love.

               I fear your answers good master have only resulted in more questions and ponderings which I hope have not given you any offence. Indeed as I stated at the top of this missive it is likely that many of my thoughts and wonderings may not have any true answers and those that could have been answered once upon a time lie lost at the bottom of the Sundering Seas.

               But my thanks to you and your colleagues once again, you have given me much to think over.

Yours in friendship,

Elanor Gardner

Maid of honour to Queen Arwen

Writing on this the twelfth day of November 1439 in the reckoning of the Shire.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dear Mistress Nimloth,

                                             You cannot begin to imagine the joy your letter brought to my small smial. It was fascinating to read such a different opinion on Tar-Míriel and I hadn’t realised that she’d had the ability to call court in her own name. I don’t think even our Queen Arwen is able to do this (except when she is acting as Regent when both the King and Prince Faramir are away from Minas Tirith) and this argument can only act in the positive to cement the opinion that she and Ar-Pharazon were co-rulers. Your comments on the fact that we tend to over rely on the Akallabeth as a source very much chimed with me as it is a source material riddled with problems (if I may be so bold).

               I have told Master Elestirn that I intend to contact Rivendell in an attempt to see if they have any other documentation relating to the Fall, as I know Lord Elrond was a lore master and if indeed they do have anything I will most certainly relay the information to yourself down in Minas Tirith.

               I was also interested to see that your interests lay in the Fall of Numenor and I was wondering if you would mind sending me a summary of your research into the White Tree? You see my siblings and I would be very interested to learn more about Numenor’s White Tree, its history, origin and ultimately its fate. It sounds rather like the trees of Lothlorien though perhaps less Elven, if that is possible? You see it almost seems more grounded in reality, in that it propagated from some such small saplings and still exists through its seeds today. My father was very interested in this. His business, you see was once as Gardener to dear Mr. Frodo Baggins and we have one of the great Mallyrn of Galadriel growing in the field down the hill from where I live.

               My father planted it in place of the old party tree that once stood on the site before I was born. I am told that the tree and I are practically of an age, and many feel that it is because of the Elvish magic in it that my hair is so fair. It is rare you see that many Hobbits have blonde hair; although many of my generation do. Personally though I think rather it is one of my father’s flights of fancy in this regard.

               The tree is indeed a great height and has grown so far quicker than anyone in the Shire could otherwise believe and again my father says that it’s because of the Lady Galadriel, that is Queen Arwen’s grandmother. For a tree less than thirty years old it easily dwarfs any trees close by and I understand from my father that it is not yet full-grown.

               I couldn’t say myself. I have included my brother’s most recent sketches of the tree and have pressed one its leaves in the folds of this letter. Although no doubt this is of little wonder to you in the city of the White Tree.

               I am also obliged to ask what exactly is a Fourth Librarian? Meaning no disrespect, I hope it is not only to answer letters from Hobbit-lasses from far flung places. Indeed the title sounds most exotic to those of us here in the North.

Yours in great friendship,

Elanor Gardner

Writing on this the fourteenth day of November 1439 in the reckoning of the Shire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for "I'll be quick posting this story" I've had a hectic couple of months what with stage combat exams and freelance contracts I've not had a lot of time for myself. Hopefully the updates will start to pick up from here, but knowing me I'm not going to make any promises just because I don't want to be thought of as a liar. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you've all enjoyed this and any suggestions are gratefully received.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday my dears from Elanor and I. As Hobbits do give presents to their friends on their birthdays I thought to follow this tradition but unfortunately I have just missed out (on both mine and Elanor's birthdays), but consider it a belated birthday gift.
> 
> This is a new one for me, I'm going to actually try and post on a weekly basis as I have a fair amount of it written. It should be pointed out that I have never tried this before and so it may taper off after a while as I catch up to where I have written. But at present I have at least five "chapters" written in various states of disrepair as I type them up from my notebook.  
> The style is very different to how I normally write and it is very much a homage to "The Guernsey Literary and potato-peel pie society" novel as I think will very quickly become apparent.  
> This week I plan to do two updates, this the prologue and tomorrow or Friday the first "chapter".
> 
> I have also linked "History lesson" to this story since as some of you may know from my tumblr account I've been threatening to write this story for quite sometime.


End file.
